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May I be a protector for those who are without protectors, a guide for travelers, and a boat, a bridge, and a ship for those who wish to cross over!
May I be a lamp for those who seek light, a bed for those who seek rest, and may I be a servant for all beings who desire a servant.
Bodhisatva Shantideva in Bodhicaryavatara
As PM Narendra Modi declared a countrywide lockdown till April 15, India will be shut. First time in the history of the world, 1.4 billion people will be confined to their houses. This curfew-like situation is surely going to cause unprecedented problems. The lives of the people depending on daily wages will be disturbed and many of them will not have adequate food provisions.
Keeping the shops of essential commodities open maybe good for the middle class who have purchasing capacity, but those who do not will be left may go hungry. The mental toll will be severe as well.
Sadly, the government has not declared any relief plan, leaving us to collaborate and find creative options. The situation is likely to be complicated by more and more people falling sick.
There should be a political demand to make available food for those who will not have access to food by the government itself.
Even if we open community kitchens, the law decrees that more than 4 people cannot gather in one place. However, a community response can still address this situation in at least two ways:
- Handing over cash to families so that they can sustain coming month
- Handing over raw food grains to such families.
As people to people contact is limited, this means that making cooked food available is not practical, plus delivering the food is another challenge.
We urge families with more resources living in housing societies to find the ways to collect food grains and hand them over to disadvantaged families in neighborhood localities. Less than 4 people should be able to do it. And the delivery can be in chunks. These initiatives will be totally localised and perhaps are the best offline model.
Most of the families have now access to online payments through Gpay, BHIM, and other gateways.
However, the process of delivering food by the source families to the families in need will need careful coordination. Social media can be helpful with this service. Each area can form a small WhatsApp group bringing together donors and recipient families. Again, this is possible through our sincere desire to help one another through this coordinated effort.
We must find creative ways to make these matches. We suggest that donor families among us can take the responsibility for a few families. We can start with the immediate circle of those who we already know like maids working in our homes, laundry wallahs, auto wallahs, daily wage earners, and students who are stranded away from their houses.
Making the food supply available to marginalized and vulnerable persons is doable. Let us personally try to adopt a family or 2 for at least a month to secure food for them.
The Buddhist Relief Fund (BRF) appeals to all for this Dana. Please see details of BRF under (I).
The BRF is coordinating with Sunyatee International Foundation (SIF) as SIF will make a matching grant towards helping needy and marginalized families during this difficult time. You may send your donations to SIF. Please see the details of SIF, below (II).
With metta,
Advocate Priyadarshi Telang
Bodhi s.r.
Dr. Nitish Navsagare
Anoop Kumar
Nitin Salve
Mangesh Dahiwale
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Buddhist Relief Fund-I
On 29 September 2006 as the Buddhist revival movement celebrated 50 years, Sulekha Bhotmange, her talented teenaged daugher Priyanka, her two sons Roshan and Sudheer were brutally mob-lynched by the casteist hyenas. When the incident came to the public notice, the Buddhists and Scheduled Castes throughout India began the movement for justice. In the caste infested Indian society, the atrocities are common throughout India and beyond where Indians have migrated.
Many Ambedkarites of our generation responded to the Khairlanji caste violence and were instrumental in mobilising the community. In the justice movement in India, the response of the community is a landmark in its history. The international press took notice of it and some countries saw opposition to Indian consulates and embassies.
Buddhist Relief Fund initiative is to respond discrimination entrenched in Indian society and create legal defense for caste atrocities. We are seeking to develop a corpus so that we can respond in time and effectively.
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Sunyatee International Foundation (SIF)-I
Appeal for Funding: Your donations will be matched by the SIF to double the impact
Sunyatee International Foundation (SIF) is registered as a Non-Government company under section 8 of the Company Act with a registration number 136990 in Hyderabad, Telangana.
The objectives of the SIF are:
- To help poor and marginalised farmers to practice sustainable farming
- Share good practices of farming
- Impart tiny technological skills to process their agriculture products
- Personality development and mind training courses for people at large known as Sunya Training.
The SIF is committed to bring in peace and prosperity through compassionate social action based on the principles of non-differentiation.
The SIF was founded by Datuk Lim Siow Jin, a Malaysian philanthropist and billionaire of DXN, the Agrotech company with a market in 150 countries. He graduated from IIT Kharagpur and a Zen master. He is committed to pay back to India his enormous debt to India.
As a socially committed and responsible Non-Government company, the SIF is responding to the need of the poor and marginalised people in India to face the pandemic situation and the difficulties arising due to lockdown.
The SIF will target on distributing food and essential commodities to the poor, needy, marginalised, and displaced people.
Every donation made to SIF will be matched by equal contribution by SIF.
Suppose you donate 5000 INR, the SIF will contribute by the matching grant of 5000 INR, thus making a total contribution of 10,000 INR. The SIF has a network of volunteers spread all over India and the world, but right now, the SIF will be focusing on India only.
We accept donations from India only!
Kindly make your donations to:
Benificiery Name : Sunyatee International Foundation
Benificiery Address : Survey NO 392 AND 206 Siddipet Industrial Park Mandhapally Village Telangana Near Industrial Park Siddipet India
Bank Name : Axis Bank LTD
Bank Address : H NO 3-4-59 New NO : 3-4-143 Sajidpura Siddipet Telangana India-502103
Benificiery Bank Account Number : 920020003915906
Bank SWIFT CODE : AXISINBB292
IFSC CODE : UTIB0001797
Let us work together in this time of great challenge to humanity.
In solidarity,
Datuk Dr. Lim Siow Jin, Founder and Head, SIF
Dr. Rajesh Savera, Director, SIF
Mangesh Dahiwale, Director, SIF
Somboon (Moo) Chungprampree
Executive Secretary
INEB ~ International Network of Engaged Buddhists www.inebnetwork.org
and Program Director
SEM ~ Spirit in Education Movement www.sem-edu.org
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